Twenty Thirty Four
by TheLordismyGod
Summary: A simple vet appointment begins a chain of events spanning over the next 8 months that Peabody and Sherman never thought they would have to deal with so soon.
1. Denial

**Wednesday February 14, 2024**

* * *

"She said yes!" Sherman burst into the penthouse, throwing his backpack to the floor. It almost slid to the edge of the balcony and fell into the pool below, but thankfully stopped just before falling in.

There was no answer. "Mr. Peabody?" Sherman called again, louder this time.

"In the kitchen, Sherman." He heard his father's voice from said room. Sherman entered the kitchen and saw his father holding a knife in one paw, standing on his platform at the kitchen counter, chopping up a tomato. "Hello Sherman, what are you doing home? It's only noon." He smiled.

"It's Valentine's day, half day." Sherman said from the doorway.

"Ah, I see."

"Did you not hear me?" he asked as he walked over to his father. "She said yes!"

"No, I did not. Who said yes to what query of yours?" Peabody asked as he put the knife down and faced him.

Sherman stopped in front of him, and leaned down, smiling widely. "Penny! She said she would go to the prom with me! Don't you remember? I told you I was going to ask her on Valentine's day."

Peabody didn't remember. Recall dawned on his muzzle. "I did not, but now yes I do remember you telling me. Well, I am happy for you Sherman." He put a paw to Sherman's cheek. "My little boy is growing up." He said, smiling fondly.

Sherman stood up, still basking in the adrenaline rush. "I was nervous, but I still asked her, and once I did, I felt a lot better!"

Peabody smiled. "You see Sherman? Just a little courage and you can do anything you set your mind to."

"I'm hungry, when's lunch?" Sherman asked, rubbing his hands together.

"In just a few minutes." Peabody answered as he pulled his glasses off and wiped them on his fur.

Sherman nodded. "Oh! And remember you have an appointment with Dr. Lupo today at 2."

Peabody smiled sheepishly. "Oh yes, surely we can just reschedule, I wanted to go over-"

"Dad…" Sherman warned. "You've already rescheduled twice now… I am driving you to the vet today at 2, and that's that." He stared at Peabody pointedly.

"Alright Sherman, I haven't felt like myself lately anyways." Peabody relented. Sherman was as stubborn as he was. They had had many arguments before, and he knew when he couldn't win.

Sherman walked out of the kitchen and brought his backpack to his room and unpacked it. Soon lunch was ready, and they ate. Afterwards, they got into Peabody's car and Sherman drove them to the veterinarian's office.

Sherman pulled up to the curb and Peabody got out. He turned around.

"I'll be back in an hour. Bye dad." Sherman smiled at him.

"Goodbye Sherman." Peabody smiled back as he shut the car door.

Sherman pulled away and Peabody turned around and headed for the entrance.

He entered the doors and expected to have his hearing overrun with a cacophony of animal sounds, but thankfully there was no one in the lobby.

He checked in and sat down.

Soon, Dr. Lupo entered the lobby and greeted him.

"Hello Hector." He smiled. "It's been awhile."

Dr. Henry Lupo was an expert in canine neurology. Working out of his office in the Clinton Veterinary Center in Hell's Kitchen, he was Mr. Peabody's designated veterinarian, and had been for many, many years.

Of course, Mr. Peabody was his only patient that could speak, and when he'd met him for the first time many years ago it had surprised him to see a dog walking on his two hind legs with no problem at all. And when he spoke, it astounded him even more. It had taken him a while to take in the fact that all his assumptions and discoveries about the canine brain were now in contradiction to the dog quite literally standing in front of him.

But despite his intense fascination with the canine genius, Dr. Lupo was also a man of ethics. He could recognize the potential humanity inside the dog and refused to satiate his desire to experiment on him and fought the scientific community alongside Peabody when they had barraged him with requests to get even just a look inside his canine mind. For that Peabody was eternally grateful.

Peabody returned the smile and hopped off the chair. "Yes, well, I didn't really have a choice in the matter, Sherman forced me to keep this appointment."

Dr. Lupo laughed. "Well, good for him." He said as they both walked to the examination room.

"Ok, you know the drill. Hop on up." He said as he pulled latex gloves from the box on the wall and put them on.

Peabody hopped up on the examination table and sat down, his hind legs dangling off the edge.

Lupo turned around and smiled sheepishly at him. "Hector, I need you to stand on all fours so I can examine you properly."

Swallowing his dignity, Peabody stood up on all fours.

Dr. Lupo began at his mouth, pulling his jowls up. "Have you been keeping your teeth clean like I showed you?"

Unable to answer, Peabody just nodded.

He took Peabody's glasses off and examined his eyes. "How's your eyesight been? These glasses still working for you?"

He put them back on as Peabody answered. "Yes, I haven't noticed any inability to see things far away."

Dr. Lupo nodded as he continued on to his ears. "Any issues with hearing?"

"…not that I'm aware of."

Dr. Lupo moved on to Peabody's stomach and hindquarters, still asking him medical related questions, seemingly not noticing Peabody had tensed up. After the rather grueling detailed examination with Dr. Lupo touching him in all the worst possible places and using different tools and machines to test his mental and sensory faculties, they were done.

Soon Peabody was sitting properly in a chair again with Dr. Lupo sitting opposite him, holding a clipboard.

"I must say, you have always been my easiest patient since you can tell me exactly what's wrong with you. So, everything looks good," he ruffled through the pages before looking up at Peabody again. "However, there is something I want to talk to you about, Hector."

"And what may that be?" Peabody asked, an eyebrow raised.

Dr. Lupo looked worried as he continued. "As I'm sure you're well aware, you're… a very special case. You can think like a human; therefore, you should be treated like one…"

Peabody was silent as he let the doctor continue.

"Now of course I got over the surprise many years ago when you first came to see me. But in all my research on how to treat you, I've never been able to find a good way to treat seniority, in your case."

"I beg your pardon?" Peabody chuckled. "I'm not that old."

"Surely you've noticed the fur around your eyes and nose greying, indicating aging?" Dr. Lupo pointed to it.

"Despite what you may think, you're still getting older Hector, and I'm becoming worried. Beagles usually live a maximum of 15 years, but you're 23. Now the only possible reason I can guess you've managed to live this long is whatever experiment was performed on your mother or father or you or… whatever it was that has allowed you to think and speak like a human, has also given you a longer lifespan, but still, no one can cheat time…"

That last sentence made Peabody chuckle.

"What?" Lupo asked.

"Oh nothing." Peabody answered, still smiling.

Dr. Lupo didn't question further and continued. "Despite all that, the signs are still there. I hope you…"

He was silent for a moment, staring off into the distance, trying to find the right words to say. "…have an end-of-life plan." he looked at Peabody earnestly.

Peabody was silent for a moment again before raising an eyebrow.

"I'm not sure what you mean, I have my will already written out. It has been since Sherman was a baby."

Dr. Lupo shook his head. "I don't mean that. It's good that you have one, but I mean, have you at least told Sherman yet?"

It was Peabody's turn to shake his head. "Told him what?"

Lupo sighed and looked down. With as smart as Peabody was, he was still clueless with some things. He couldn't beat around the bush anymore. "That… that you could die soon."

Peabody frowned; brows creased in slight annoyance. "Is that really something you should be telling a patient?"

Lupo immediately looked like he regretted saying it. "Probably, but I'm a veterinarian, not a human doctor. Though if my doctor told me that I wouldn't take too kindly to it either. But like I said, you are a special case. For all I know you could drop dead tomorrow."

If that was supposed to be a joke, Lupo didn't show it and Peabody didn't laugh.

"I would figure out a way to tell him soon, just so he can be prepared. And I'd like to schedule another appointment for some time in the next couple months, just so I can keep an eye on you."

He consulted his calendar on his tablet computer. "How about… Tuesday April 16?"

Peabody pulled his phone out of the satchel he always carried and checked his own calendar. "It's currently free. That should work."

"Perfect." Lupo smiled and stood up, indicating they were done. "Well Hector, I give you a clean bill of health."

"Thank you, Henry." Peabody shook his hand and they walked back to the lobby.

They bid farewell and Peabody walked out to the curb where Sherman was waiting. He opened the door to the passenger side and Peabody hopped in.

"So how'd it go?" Sherman asked as he pulled away.

"Dr. Lupo gave me a clean bill of health." Peabody said.

"That's good." Sherman glanced at him. His dad was staring out the window, not looking at him.

"Anything else?" he coaxed.

Peabody turned and sighed. "Dr. Lupo is concerned… about my seniority."

Sherman fully looked at him while they were stopped at a light. "What does that mean?"

Peabody was silent.

Sherman briefly looked at him again and frowned as he looked back at the road. His father had never looked so… downtrodden before.

"…he is concerned I may shuffle off this mortal coil soon."

Sherman laughed, he knew what THAT meant, but this was Mr. Peabody he was talking about, if anyone could solve anything, it was Mr. Peabody himself.

"What's so funny?"

Sherman didn't look at him as the light turned green and he started driving. "You're not going to die, Mr. Peabody, you can figure anything out. And if you can't… well then I won't let you."

Peabody didn't answer.

He sat up straight and looked up at Sherman and smiled. "How about we move on to a lighter subject. It's your 18th birthday in a couple months, quite a momentous occasion, you'll be entering the adult world."

"Yeah…" Sherman said, his voice trailing off as he pulled into Peabody Industries' underground garage.

Peabody could sense something was bothering Sherman. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"I… don't have a job yet." He said as they walked over to the elevator. "And I don't have any money to move out either." He pushed the button.

Peabody looked up at him in shock. "Why on earth do you think you need to move out?"

Sherman walked inside as the doors opened and turned around to look at him. "Because all my friends are moved out of their parents' house, and Penny is planning to soon…"

Peabody smiled at him. "Ah, well, don't give in to peer pressure Sherman, and I'm certainly not going to kick you out. In fact, I hope you might stay and help me run the company. I could use the help. You could learn a lot about business management."

Sherman smiled back. But that didn't comfort him. He still had to tell his father something…

"But I want to go to MIT." He blurted out. The elevator doors opened, and they walked out into the penthouse.

Peabody frowned. He was torn between wanting to keep Sherman with him as long as possible, and letting Sherman experience the world on his own.

"Well that is perfectly admirable. If you want to go to MIT, I won't stop you." Despite speaking the words Peabody wasn't sure if he meant what he said.

"Thanks dad." Sherman looked relieved, like a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders as he smiled at him. "I think fall applications are open, I should see if I can apply."

"Good for you Sherman, procrastinating never helped anybody."

Sherman looked at his watch. "I could do that and be ready in time to go with Penny on our date."

Peabody looked up at him, an eyebrow raised suspiciously. "And what will you be doing with Penny?"

Sherman chuckled nervously. "It's Valentines day, dad. We're just going to dinner."

Peabody looked at him with half closed eyes. "Hmm, well you know the curfew time, just be sure to be back by then."

"Yes, Mr. Peabody." Sherman intoned as he walked down the hallway toward his room.

Peabody waited until he saw Sherman enter his room and shut the door before picking up the phone and dialing a number. He had some business to attend to…

He placed it under his ear and waited for an answer.

"_Manhattan Motorcars how can I help you?_"

"Hello, this is Mr. Peabody and I'd like to schedule a time to spec out a car…"


	2. Anger

**_Do not go gentle into that good night,_**

**_Old age should burn and rave at close of day;_**

**_Rage, rage against the dying of the light._**

* * *

**Monday April 15, 2024**

"Happy Birthday Sherman!" Peabody announced as he walked into Sherman's room carrying a tray.

Sherman groaned and turned over in his bed, the covers getting twisted around his body.

"Urrgh, what time is it?" he asked, his voice thick from sleep as he looked at his phone. His eyes widened as they focused on the time.

He huffed as he turned over and sat up and finally looked at his father. "Mr. Peabody! Why did you wake me up so ear-"

He stopped as he took in what Peabody was holding. "Oh."

"As you can see, I made you breakfast in bed." Peabody smiled as he placed it on the bed in front of Sherman.

"Thanks dad, you've… never done that." Sherman said, taking in the contents of the tray.

"Well I suppose your 18th birthday is a special one, and you're only 18 once." Peabody replied, putting his paws behind his back. "As for the early rise, you still of course have school despite it being your birthday, but I assume you would like more time to enjoy my culinary endeavors for breakfast."

"Yeah, that's fine." Sherman said absently, digging in. He loved his father's cooking.

"Well I will leave you to it. But remember, we're going to be having the Petersons over for your birthday party after school."

Sherman nodded; his mouth full.

Peabody turned on his heel and walked back out of Sherman's room.

Sherman finished the breakfast and got dressed. He moseyed into the living room and saw Peabody on the phone.

"So, four o'clock?... Perfect." Peabody hung up.

"Was that the Petersons?" Sherman asked as he leaned down.

"Not quite… Sherman what are you looking for?"

Sherman stopped looking under the leather ottoman and stood up. "My physics textbook, I thought left it-"

Peabody pointed to the couch, where a corner of the book was sticking out from between the cushions, threatening to be sucked into depths of the couch and lost forever.

"Oh, thanks." He quickly grabbed it and headed back to his room.

Peabody heaved a relieved sigh that Sherman hadn't asked him who he was really talking to.

Soon, it was time for Sherman to leave for school. He entered the landing where the elevator was, and Peabody met him there.

"Have a good day at school, Sherman." He smiled up at Sherman as he entered the elevator and turned around. "I'm making your favorite, steak and shrimp with rice pilaf for your birthday dinner."

Sherman smiled at him as he pressed the button. "Thanks dad." He said as the doors closed.

The doors opened on the underground garage and he unlocked his car and drove to school.

* * *

"So how is Mr. Peabody?" Penny asked as she bit into her sandwich. The bustle of the lunchroom surrounded them as the other students talked and ate their lunch.

Sherman leaned in slightly and raised his voice a little so she could hear him. "He's fine, he's been in his lab a lot recently, which is not completely abnormal… but I'm still worried about him. He's been… distracted recently."

He leaned in closer. "And… I think something's wrong with his eyes." He whispered; brows creased in concern.

"What do you mean?" Penny asked, learning in closer and talking louder too.

"Like when I'm talking to him, and he's any distance away from me, sometimes he'll squint and then move closer."

Penny was silent for a moment. "Well… didn't the doctor say he was getting old?" She asked, leaning back. "Just have him get new glasses and there, problem solved." She said as she took another bite of her sandwich.

"But that's not the underlying problem! He's dying! I know it! And he refuses to see it! He's so stubborn!" Sherman angrily took another bite of his own lunch.

"So are you…" Penny remarked quietly, smiling at him.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing birthday boy, just an observation…" She smirked.

"Well I wonder who I got it from…" Sherman said sarcastically.

School finally let out and Sherman drove home after confirming Penny would be coming an hour later with her family.

He entered the penthouse and called out for Peabody. Upon receiving no answer, he started searching the penthouse.

"He'd better not be losing his hearing too…" He remarked to himself as he checked Peabody's room, still calling out for him occasionally.

He had finally searched the entire penthouse, but there was still one place he could also be…

Sherman took the elevator down to the WABAC floor. As he left the doors, he could hear his father over in his lab. He started walking over to it, but before he reached the doorway, a terrible crash came from inside.

He ran the rest of the way and stopped at the doorway; his eyes wide.

Peabody was in a rage. He was knocking vials and portable shelves over, throwing papers to the floor.

"It still doesn't work! Why won't it work!" He growled, throwing a vial at the wall, shattering it.

He picked up another one and turned around and threw it as hard as he could but couldn't stop himself as he noticed Sherman.

The vial luckily hit the doorframe above Sherman and he ducked and covered his head as the glass fell on him.

"Mr. Peabody! Calm down!" He rushed forward, hands out, ready to stop his father from breaking anything else.

"Oh Sherman, my apologies, I could've hit you." Exhausted but still feeling the brief high of rage, Peabody fell to the ground, but not before Sherman caught him, gently pulling him to his chest.

"What's wrong Mr. Peabody?" he asked, scratching his father behind the ears, trying to calm him down. "What isn't working?"

Peabody didn't resist Sherman holding him and his eyes opened and closed in response to Sherman's scratching as he spoke. "I- I am attempting to stabilize the shortening of the telomeres in my DNA in an effort to try and stop the aging process. That of course has only been one path of action I've tried." A small whine escaped his throat.

Despite wanting to stay in Sherman's arms forever, Peabody had come off the rage fit and his pride and dignity was finally able to take over.

He scrambled out of Sherman's arms and stood up. "I'm sorry Sherman, I lost control for a moment."

"It's alright Mr. Peabody, It's your lab." Sherman stood up and they both looked around at the mess he had caused. "We… we should clean up; the Petersons will be here soon." Sherman said.

Peabody nodded as he looked back up at Sherman.

"We'll… talk about this later."

He quickly helped his father clean up the lab and then they went back upstairs. Peabody confirmed the food he had prepared earlier was all ready to go and they both walked over to the elevator to greet their guests.

The doors opened and Sherman's eyes widened.

Inside the elevator stood the Peterson family. However, Penny's clothes were what caught Sherman's breath.

She was wearing a dark blue dress that fell to her knees and a blue headband which matched her blue eyes perfectly.

Sherman's awe wasn't lost on Peabody as he smirked at him in his peripheral and welcomed them. "Hello Paul, Patty, and Penny, welcome." He flourished with a paw.

"Y- yeah, thanks for coming." Sherman finally stammered out. "You look great." He said to Penny.

She smiled. "Thanks Sherman."

They all stepped out of the elevator and greeted each other. Paul and Peabody caught up on business while Penny handed Sherman a wrapped present she had been holding. He took it and placed it on the pile that was already started in the living room, mostly from Mr. Peabody of course.

After a few moments Peabody finally led them all to the dining room. "The food is all ready, so we can start eating right away."

They took their seats, Sherman pulling out the chair for Penny and Paul pulling out the chair for Patty.

They started eating; everyone was smacking their lips, praising Peabody on his culinary skills, wishing Sherman happy birthday, and just catching up.

Peabody was in the middle of animatedly talking to Patty and Penny about some new makeup formula he had been developing when Paul turned to Sherman.

"So, Sherman, any plans for after you graduate?" he asked.

Sherman put down his fork and swallowed before he answered. "I've wanted to go to MIT, and I already applied a couple months ago, but they aren't sending the accept reject letters out until around May or June."

"MIT huh? I minored in Management there, maybe I have some pull. I could try and tug some strings for you." Paul said, trying to be helpful.

Sherman quickly shook his head; he was not about to have anyone help him. As much as Peabody wanted to help him, Sherman didn't want him to, and letting anyone else help him would set a precedent. "No, that's ok." He smiled halfheartedly. "I want to do this on my own."

"There's nothing wrong with asking for or accepting help, believe me. My major is in business, but I know almost nothing about computers, but Peabuddy here,"

At the mention of his nickname, Peabody stopped talking and started paying attention to Paul.

"he knows almost everything about everything, and he helped me a couple days ago with mine."

"I know…" Sherman spoke slowly, it was harder to answer now that his father was paying attention. "But that's not the reason I don't want help." He took another bite to save himself from saying anything else.

Soon, the dinner was over and they moved on to dessert: a triple decker vanilla cake covered in whipped cream and strawberries, Sherman's favorite.

After devouring the cake, they moved to the living room where Sherman opened his presents, Penny had gotten him a top of the line swiss army knife. Peabody had gifted him a bunch of practical items, most of which Sherman had asked for, mostly clothes and writing tools, like pens and pencils. He had also gotten him some engineering paper, the kind with grids and measurement lines.

The Petersons were a little surprised. In past birthdays, Peabody got Sherman the most extravagant gifts. But they didn't question it.

The ostensibly last present had been opened when Peabody spoke to Sherman. "And now I have one last present to give you, Sherman. But it's too big to bring up here, we'll have to go downstairs."

Sherman looked at him confused. "Why?"

"You'll see." Peabody said in a sing song voice as he began walking to the elevator.

Sherman and the Petersons followed him into the elevator as he pushed the button for the underground garage.

The doors opened and Peabody strode out.

"Right this way."

They pulled their arms close trying to keep warm from the cold as they followed him.

Peabody reached the beginning of the row of parked cars where a Tesla was parked and handed Sherman a Tesla car key.

"Happy Birthday Sherman." He smiled warmly.

Sherman stood in shock. Mr. Peabody gotten him a Tesla for his birthday. "You got me a car?" he said disbelievingly.

Peabody chuckled. "Yes, I did, so now you don't have to drive my car around." He said as Sherman held the key fob out and triggered the unlock.

Paul whistled. "Nice." He finally knew where most of the money for Sherman's presents had gone.

"Wow, this is so cool Sherman!" Penny said as she jumped into the passenger seat beside him.

"Yeah…." Sherman trailed off as he ran his hand around the fancy car, taking it in.

He turned to Peabody. "Thanks, dad."

Peabody smiled again. "You're welcome Sherman."

The party had finally ended, and the Petersons had left and Sherman and Peabody were alone in the penthouse.

Sherman was placing the dishes in the dishwasher and Peabody was bringing the rest in the from the dining room.

He handed them to Sherman.

"So…" Sherman began tentatively as he took them. "What was that about in your lab today?"

Peabody didn't immediately answer. After a few seconds he finally sighed.

"I have been noticing my eyesight deteriorating. And the only conclusion I could come to was aging, as Dr. Lupo has suggested. I tested myself for every eye related disease I know, and I tested negative for all of them."

Sherman finished loading the dishwasher and closed it as Peabody continued.

"So, for the past month and a half I have been running DNA simulations and genetic mutation simulations in an attempt to correct it, perhaps with the added bonus of slowing my aging."

Sherman stared at him sadly before replying.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"It's not your job to worry about things that concern me." Peabody regretted it as soon as he said it.

"No! Do not use that on me again!" Sherman burst out. "You don't get to use it this time just because it doesn't have anything to do with me!" he was on the verge of tears as he pointed toward himself.

"I care about what happens to you, you're my dad! What happens to you…happens to me." He finished quietly.

He hated how his father's dignity sometimes got in the way of their relationship.

"It's not undignified to ask for help." He said almost in a whisper.

"I could say the same thing to you, Sherman." Peabody spat. "You won't let me help you with getting accepted into MIT, nor will you let Paul help you."

Sherman stayed silent, having been put in his place. Peabody had a point.

"I am simply attempting to prepare for your inevitable departure for college. In case you have not taken a census of the inhabitants of this house, there are only two, and if and when you leave there will be only one." Peabody said coolly.

Sherman scoffed. "I doubt that, I'm not smart enough for MIT, they will probably reject me."

"Don't sell yourself short, Sherman." Peabody walked forward and put a paw on Sherman's hand. "I've seen the breadth of your intelligence."

Sherman didn't answer, but then changed the subject.

"So, **do** you need any help with… anything?"

"Well, I guess I do need a new glasses prescription." Peabody said quietly.

"Ok, you have a vet appointment tomorrow-that you are not postponing!" Sherman glared at Peabody, who raised his paws in surrender.

"So, I can drive you to that… in my new car." He smirked as he filled the dishwasher with soap and started it.

"Thank you, Sherman. Well, I am going to turn in. I am sorry for bothering you with my outburst today, I promise I will inform you of any more developments on that front." Peabody smiled.

"Thanks dad. That's all I ask." Sherman smiled back.

* * *

**Tuesday April 16, 2024**

Peabody entered the lobby of the vet's office.

Dr. Lupo was standing at the front desk. He looked up and saw Peabody standing there and smiled.

"Hello Hector, you're right on time."

Peabody smiled. "Of course I am Henry, though I have an extra request…" he trailed off.

Lupo frowned. "Is something wrong?"

"I need a prescription for new glasses." Peabody answered.

* * *

**_And you, my father, there on the sad height,_**

**_Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray._**

**_Do not go gentle into that good night._**

**_Rage, rage against the dying of the light._**


	3. Bargaining

**Friday June 7, 2024**

"Where are you, Sherman?" Peabody muttered to himself as he tapped at his phone.

He pressed send and held it up to his ear. The line clicked and his sons voice came through.

_"Yeah yeah! I'm coming!" _Sherman said through the phone.

"Sherman! manners!" Peabody scolded.

"_Sorry dad, I'm coming home now, I was just late at the grocery store._"

Peabody suddenly realized Sherman was driving. "Sherman! Are you talking while driving!? The use of any hand-held cellular phone while driving is prohibited on any New York road! Anyone who violates this law will be issued a traffic violation which will carry a fine of up to $150!"

"_Dad, dad, calm down, relax. My phone is in my bag, both my hands are on the wheel, and I'm still looking at the road. I'm not holding it. I didn't even touch it. I have a Tesla now, you know._"

Peabody could hear the smirk in Sherman's voice. Slightly assuaged, he continued. "I suppose. But hurry, we have to leave for commencement in 15 minutes!"

"_I know, I'm pulling in now._"

They hung up and a few minutes later the elevator opened and Sherman walked out, both arms full of bags of groceries. He was having a hard time looking over the top of the bags.

Peabody rushed over; worried Sherman might trip or fall.

"Let me help you Sherman." he said, and Sherman gratefully lowered one into his arms and continued walking towards the kitchen.

Having severely misjudged the bag's weight and not having the strength to hold it, Peabody had to let it fall to the smooth wooden floor with a thump and a verbal 'Oof!'

"Sherman," he chuckled. "Did you give me the heaviest bag?" he asked as he dragged it into the kitchen.

Sherman looked at him, perplexed. "No, that was the lightest one I had." He said as he began unloading the groceries onto the counter.

Before Peabody could reply, Sherman continued. "I was late because I was looking for that special food for you." He said as he reached into a bag and pulled out a can of dog food. Peabody hopped up onto the platform next to Sherman and looked at it. From the looks of it, it was some kind of health food for dogs.

Peabody's nose wrinkled in disgust. "Sherman, I refuse to eat dog food, I've been eating human food for many years now, and I don't intend to stop." he said.

"You will if you intend to live longer, you're getting older, Mr. Peabody, and our human food isn't going to cut it anymore." Sherman said as he reached into another bag and pulled out a bottle of soap.

"I also got you this special soap for dogs."

"But my current soap has been serving me fine-"

Sherman interrupted him and pointed to his stomach. "So your fur is just a little rough and gray normally now?"

Peabody looked down and didn't answer.

Sherman looked at the label and smiled. "This should get your fur back to its normal silky shine."

"Well of course I am aging Sherman, but if it will make you feel better, I will try the soap and the food." Peabody sighed.

"It will, it's my turn to take care of you. Promise to let me?" Sherman asked, looking into his father's eyes solemnly.

Peabody looked back at him just as gravely. The unspoken thing they both didn't want to deal with passed between them. He sighed again. "I promise."

"Good." Sherman picked up the mail he had also gathered on the way up.

Peabody looked at the clock and gasped. "Sherman, we need to leave now!"

"Ok, I just need to get dressed and I'll be back!" He rushed off to his room. As he did, he dropped the pile of mail back on the table and the top envelopes slid off, revealing the return address of one of the bottom ones.

_Office of Admissions_

_Massachusetts Institute of Technology_

_77 Massachusetts Ave _

_Cambridge, MA 02139_

It was a response to Sherman's application. Peabody slowly picked it up and considered opening it. Had Sherman been accepted? Did he have a future?

He couldn't. It was addressed to Sherman, and he knew Sherman would not be pleased if he opened it.

He quickly placed it back at the bottom of the pile of mail when he heard Sherman come running back into the kitchen.

He was dressed in an all-black gown and was carrying his graduation hat in his hands. He spun around for Peabody.

"How do I look?" he asked.

Without warning, Peabody was suddenly bombarded with feelings. He may be a dog, but that didn't mean he was any less affected by human feelings. He felt pride in Sherman, pride that he was well on his way to being a productive member of society. He also felt pride in himself, pride that he had proved every single other person who had ever doubted that he could raise a human being on his own wrong. But those feelings were soon washed away by another, more negative one. Empty nesting was a foreign term to him, he had never thought about it before. He knew Sherman would eventually move out and leave him. And for some reason, that scared him more than he suspected was normal.

"Like Miss Peterson is a very lucky girl to be in a relationship with such an educated person as yourself." He smiled, half joking, half not.

"Daaad." Sherman smiled shyly as he toed his shoe on the wooden floor.

"I expect to start needing to purchase baby items again soon…" he continued smirking, unable to resist.

"DAAad-lookwegottago!" Sherman pointed to the clock and rushed out of the kitchen but he still wasn't fast enough to hide the blush that had rushed to his cheeks.

Peabody chuckled sadly to himself and gently hopped down from the platform. They both entered the elevator and soon they were in Sherman's car heading for the school.

* * *

Sherman pulled into the parking lot and they noticed the Petersons had arrived seconds before they did. They got out and Paul greeted them.

"Hey Peabuddies!"

Penny rolled her eyes as she stepped out of the car. "Dad, **please **stop calling them that, it's childish and embarrassing." She wore her own graduation clothes and clutched her graduation cap in her hands.

"Well they're our buddies, aren't they?" he asked her. "And their last name starts with Peab."

"Yes, but…" she couldn't think of a retort, so she stayed silent.

"And you are ours." Peabody said, smiling warmly as he and Sherman walked over and fell into step with them towards the school gym.

Penny walked beside Sherman, her parents in front of them and Peabody behind.

"Are you nervous?" she asked him.

"Yeah, a little." he said. "But I think I've practiced it in the mirror enough times that I should be able to remember it."

"Well, being valedictorian only comes once in your lifetime, so if you do mess it up, everyone will remember it forever." She smirked.

"Thanks, that's real encouraging." Sherman said sarcastically.

Suddenly, Penny heard a very small voice say Sherman's name. It sounded like Mr. Peabody, but like she had ever heard him before. He sounded… _vulnerable_. And he didn't even just say it, he had asked it, like a question.

She turned around just as Sherman quickly did the same and mumbled out a small "_Yeah_."

Mr. Peabody had stopped walking and was leaned over slightly on one knee. Before Penny could say anything Sherman quickly scooped him up in his arms. They resumed walking as Sherman situated Peabody so that he was resting against his chest, facing out, using one arm to sit on and holding the other in front to keep him up, like a roller coaster bar.

Penny raised an eyebrow at both of them.

Sherman quickly explained. "Mr. Peabody can't walk on his hind paws for longer than a couple minutes, so I carry him so he doesn't have to walk on all fours."

Penny looked down at Peabody, who was trying to avoid her gaze, his eyes darting between her and looking ahead.

"Yes, I am getting rather old, this body isn't what it used to be." He chuckled self-consciously.

"Oh." Penny didn't say anything else as she realized for the very first time that Mr. Peabody was actually getting old. As she looked at him, she noticed that his fur had lost some of its silkiness and the fur near his nose had started to grey.

They continued walking into the school and once they reached the gym, Sherman quickly set Peabody down again and he gratefully took his seat next to the Petersons. Sherman and Penny took their places near the stage and the commencement ceremony began.

Principal Purdy took the stage and greeted everyone, congratulated the graduates on their accomplishments, wished them well on their higher education endeavors, and finally began handing out the diplomas.

Sherman was last in line behind Penny, and as she took her own diploma from Purdy and made her way offstage, Purdy handed Sherman his diploma and turned to the audience.

"And now, it is my great honor to have our class valedictorian say a few words."

Sherman smiled at him and walked up to the podium. He paused for a few moments, but they felt like an eternity to him as he looked out over the crowd and saw Mr. Peabody and the Petersons watching him.

He focused on Mr. Peabody and felt his stage fright melt away.

"Principal Purdy, Trustees, Faculty members, family, friends and fellow graduates, today is a day to be thankful and to be inspired." Sherman said as he began reciting the speech.

"First, we have much to be thankful for. Here at Susan B. Anthony School we have received a great education thanks to our fine administration and teachers. We are prepared to move on and take on whatever challenges come next in our lives.

Fellow graduates, I want you to know what a great gift it is to be as prepared as we are, because not all schools offer such an advantage. Here we have had a high degree of academic excellence and whether you intend to continue your education or not, you will benefit from what you learned here…"

In the audience, Paul turned to Peabody. "Did…did you help him write that?" he whispered.

Peabody grinned proudly. "No, I did not. Sherman wrote it all by himself."

Paul was impressed. "Wow, good for him." After pause he said, "Sounds like something you would write."

"Yes…. it does…" Peabody smiled thoughtfully.

After a moment, he whispered again. "Paul?"

Paul turned back to Peabody and froze as he noticed his expression. Having known the dog for over 10 years now, he was easily able to detect what Peabody was thinking.

"Could you do something for me?" he asked.

"Sure," Paul said solemnly, "anything you need."

"As you can see…I…I am getting old. I do not know how much longer I will live, but I want to ensure Sherman is looked after when I pass. Can…can I ask you to look after Sherman in the event that I pass away? I need to be assured that someone is looking after his wellbeing."

Paul knew how much Peabody disliked baring his emotions and deepest thoughts, but the bond they had formed over the last decade had started with their children, so it would end with them too. "Of course, Peabody."

"Thank you." Peabody smiled in relief. He turned back to listen to Sherman's speech again, and Paul did too after looking at him in concern for a few more seconds.

"…we can also be thankful for our families. These past four years have presented us with a lot of ups and downs, and it is good to know that we had our families in our corner, supporting us along the way."

Sherman paused and caught Mr. Peabody's eye as he smiled.

"Thank you, Mr. Peabody, I would not be here today without you.

Finally, we can be thankful for each other. The friendships that we have made here will last a lifetime. In the same way we have supported each other and helped each other succeed in these years at Susan B. Anthony, I hope we will continue to provide support and encouragement for each other in future endeavors.

When you leave here today, celebrate what you have accomplished, but look forward with an eye toward how you, too, can be the inspiration for others.

Congratulations, Class of 2024!"

Sherman shouted the last sentence as the audience started clapping.

He bowed and stepped away from the podium as Purdy took his place. Sherman rejoined his family and Purdy closed out the ceremony.

Everyone helped put the chairs away and prepare for the prom dance. They had worn their graduation regalia over their prom clothes, so they simply took them off. Peabody and Penny's parents told them to have a good time and left, bringing Peabody home. Sherman would take Penny home after it ended.

* * *

It was late at night and Peabody was sitting in bed, looking at a photo album, a couple tears streaming down his face. He smiled as he looked at a picture of Sherman when he was 5 years old, starting his first day of kindergarten, the biggest smile on his face.

Peabody heard the ding of the elevator and quickly shut the album and put it away. He walked into the kitchen just as Sherman walked in and tossed his keys onto the table.

Peabody turned on the light and walked up onto the platform next to him.

"So how was the prom?" he asked.

Sherman was leaning against the counter, both palms pushed against it, head down. He smiled as he stood up straight and looked at Peabody.

"It was the best day of my life. Penny was so beautiful."

Peabody smiled; he didn't smirk. "I'm so happy for you." He motioned to the singular letter he had left on the table.

"This was addressed to you. You might want to open it." he said, handing it to Sherman.

Once he noticed the return address Sherman frantically took the letter and ripped it open. He quickly scanned it and after he reached the bottom, he let out a whoop and began jumping around the kitchen.

"I take it you were accepted to MIT?" Peabody smiled as he watched Sherman.

"Not just accepted!" Sherman stopped jumping and rushed back over to him. "I got a full ride scholarship!" he said as he waved the letter in front of Peabody.

Peabody took it and read it for himself.

_Frank Goyle_

_Admissions Manager_

_Massachusetts Institute of Technology_

_77 Massachusetts Ave_

_Cambridge Massachusetts 02139_

_(617) 253-1000_

_June 3, 2024_

_Mr. Sherman Peabody_

_880 7th Ave._

_New York, NY 10019_

_Dear Mr. Peabody:_

_Congratulations! It is with immense pleasure that I inform you of your acceptance in the Electrical Engineering & Computer Science program (EECS 101) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. This opportunity comes in recognition of your academic and personal achievements, and I am positive that you will be a valued member of our university._

_In anticipation of any questions that you may have, I have enclosed a student starter package, which will familiarize you with the campus and the many opportunities and facilities that it offers. Also included is a list of faculty members who will be leading the courses in EECS 101, along with the contact information of our administrative staff. If you feel that you need further information than provided within the student starter pack, please feel free to call the admissions office, and they will do all that they can to make this transition easy for you._

_Additionally, it is my great pleasure again to inform you that due to your high academic performance as indicated by your transcripts and other academic documents you have submitted, you are eligible for the highest scholarship award offered at MIT: The Ted Key Scholarship for Excellence, which covers all tuition for the academic year, renewable annually for up to four years._

_In order to familiarize all new students with the campus and its rules and to help you get acquainted with your fellow students, MIT has a special orientation event named August Adventures. It is a four-day event in August a week before term starts where we begin with a campus tour and then leave for a camping trip filled with team building and cooperative activities. The 1-day orientation portion is mandatory, but the camping portion is not. Though we highly encourage you to participate in order to get to know the other students in your program. Another letter with more details and registration information will be mailed to you within the next couple months. _

_On behalf of the faculty and staff of MIT, we wish you a successful and enjoyable future and can't wait to see you on September 3rd._

_Sincerely,_

_Frank Goyle_

_Enc: Student Starter Package_

Peabody slowly put the letter down as the realization that Sherman would be leaving him soon sunk in.

On the one paw, he couldn't be happier… and prouder of Sherman. But on the other…he didn't want Sherman to leave. Not only because he wanted someone to take care of his company after he was gone, but also the incredible loneliness he felt before he had adopted Sherman was threatening to set in again.

"This is absolutely splendid Sherman!" He said, grinning ear to ear. "I knew you would be admitted."

Despite his doubts Sherman nodded and smiled as he took the letter back and read it again.

"August Adventures sounds fun, I think I'll go," he said. "I'm gonna go call Penny and tell her."

"Oh, I'm sure she will be very happy for you as well." Peabody said.

Sherman grabbed his keys from the table and went to his room.

After talking with Penny on the phone for a little while he heard the shower in Mr. Peabody's room being turned on.

_"What is it?"_

"Nothing, Mr. Peabody just turned on the shower; he's getting ready for bed. I probably should too."

_"What about him?"_

"What **about** 'about him'?"

_"Will he be okay by himself for 9 months out of 12 for the next 4 years?"_

"I- I don't know…" For the first time, Sherman imagined what life would be like for his father without him there. In the last year, he had come to depend on Sherman for quite a few things, transportation being chief among them.

"I'm sure he'll be fine, he has a lot of people who work for him he can ask for help."

Penny scoffed. _"Ha! Your dad, ask for help? You're funny Sherman."_

"He needs me to carry him sometimes, you saw just today!"

_"Yesterday Sherman, it's 1 in the morning, and you're the exception cause you're family."_

"He'll be fine." Sherman said, maybe a little too firmly.

_"If you say so." _A pause. _"Well, I'm going to go to bed Sherman, I'll talk to you tomorrow."_

"Ok, I will too. Talk to you tomorrow. I love you."

_"I love you too."_

Sherman didn't exactly spend the next few minutes getting ready for bed. He got distracted and continued working on an engineering prototype he had started as a personal project.

He suddenly felt hungry for a midnight snack and left his room heading for the kitchen. As he passed Mr. Peabody's room, he heard him cry out and then a _thump!_

_"Ahh! Ow!"_

"Mr. Peabody?" Sherman opened the door and rushed into his room, ran to the bathroom door and threw it open.

Mr. Peabody was lying on the floor in the fetal position, clutching his right hind leg, soaking wet. The bathroom mat soaked up the water dripping off him as he rocked back and forth.

"Mr. Peabody! What happened?!" Sherman asked as he grabbed a towel off the rack and quickly knelt down and threw it over him.

Peabody didn't answer for a few seconds as he sat up, the towel wrapped around him.

"I severely underestimated the height that I needed to raise my leg to successfully step over the edge of the bathtub. I kicked the edge and fell on my snout. I have hurt my leg before, but it has never smarted as much as it does now…" He trailed off as he continued rubbing his sore leg.

"Maybe I shouldn't take that scholarship…" Sherman said, frowning.

Peabody stopped rubbing his leg and looked at him in alarm. "Why on earth would you say that?"

"Because… I don't know if you can handle being alone." Sherman watched as Peabody toweled down his head. "And I'm afraid that if I'm not here to help you…" he trailed off as he played with one of the fraying ends of the bathmat.

"Sherman." Peabody said his name with such seriousness Sherman looked back up at him.

"Don't let me stop you from pursuing your dreams." he said. "I will be fine."

"But what if you're not?"

"911 exists, Sherman, and you are first on my list of emergency contacts. I would not let such an opportunity pass you by."

Sherman sighed. "I guess."

"What do I need to do to make you go?" Peabody smirked.

"Well… we haven't spent much time together; we're both so busy and we barely go in the WABAC. Maybe we could go camping sometime this summer, just the two of us, present time, no WABAC. It's going to be the last time we have…"

Peabody smiled at him. "Alright. I would like that, Sherman."

Sherman smiled back. "-and get a cane."

Peabody chuckled as they both stood up. "Acceptable. I will get a cane as well, on the counter-condition that I do not have to use it when I leave the house."

Sherman thought for a moment before answering. "Deal."

He left the bathroom as Peabody finished drying himself off.


	4. Depression

**Thursday August 22, 2024**

Sherman yawned as he threw another pair of underwear into the duffel bag.

He was definitely not a morning person, but it was currently 5 in the morning and he needed to leave in half an hour if he was going to be at MIT in time for orientation.

He jogged out of his room and into the kitchen and grabbed the trail mix he had bought and ran back to his room.

Finally, the duffel bag was packed and he was ready to go. He went to the kitchen to prepare some breakfast.

He was in the middle of eating his scrambled eggs and bacon when he heard it.

**_Tap… Tap… Tap…_**

Sherman smiled. Dad was finally up to see him off.

He turned around in his chair and looked at the dining room doorway.

"Hey dad." he smiled.

Mr. Peabody slowly walked in, alternating two feet with his cane.

"Hello son." Peabody replied with a smile as he stopped and leaned against the cane with both paws.

Time had been somewhat kind to old Mr. Peabody. Of course, he hunched a bit now and needed his cane for assistance, but for the most part he was doing quite well. Perhaps all those years of running through time with Sherman did him some good after all. His fur was no longer white, but a drab grey and drooped quite a bit, mainly at his elbows and chin. The little quiffs of fur on top of his head also wilted now.

"Glad you're finally up to see me off. I made you some breakfast too." Sherman said, pointing to the place at the small table next to the dining room table Peabody now used.

"Oh, thank you, my dear boy." Peabody tapped over to the table and slowly sat down, leaning his cane against it.

He took a bite. "These are very delicious. Good job, Sherman."

Sherman smiled. "Thanks dad."

For a while, there was quiet aside from the sound of silverware clinking against plates.

"How long will you be gone?" Peabody suddenly asked him.

Sherman looked up from his phone. "Like I said before, I'll be gone for four days. I should be back around 1 in the afternoon on Sunday."

"Oh. That-" Peabody couldn't finish as a coughing fit overtook him.

Sherman quickly got up from the dining room table and fetched some water from the kitchen. He swiftly returned and helped Mr. Peabody drink it.

"Ahhh, thank you Sherman, I don't know what I'd do without you here…"

"I don't either…" Sherman said under his breath. For once he was grateful for his father's deteriorated hearing.

"I should have Ashley check in on you every day." He said out loud.

"That is a good idea, I will ask her to do that for me." Peabody said.

He began to laugh. "If you weren't here, I probably would have kicked the bucket a long time ago!"

Sherman did not find that funny. "Dad! I've told you before, stop joking about that!"

Peabody frowned. "My apologies, Sherman." He turned back to his breakfast and Sherman returned to his own plate. "Anyways, what was I was saying…? Oh yes, that is barely any time at all, I'm sure it will go by fast."

Sherman smiled. But it was a nervous smile. "Yeah… just four days, and then you'll have me back for a week before I leave again."

They finished their breakfast and Peabody walked Sherman to the elevator.

Sherman turned around and knelt down. They were both silent for a moment, mutually not really wanting to leave the other.

"Like I said, it-it's only four days… then I'll be back." Sherman's voice cracked with emotion.

"-for a week." Peabody reminded him, trying his darndest not to let his emotions out too.

Sherman's lower lip trembled and he suddenly leaned forward and wrapped Peabody in a strong hug.

"Thank you, dad." He voice was muffled in Peabody's gray fur, but the homesickness he was already feeling could be heard loud and clear in the wavering of his voice.

Peabody almost asked him what he was thankful for, but then stopped. He didn't need to know. He could take a guess. Maybe it was the chance at life Peabody had given him. The life lessons he had learned. How much Peabody had fought tooth and nail through a court system to keep him. But whatever Sherman was thankful for, Peabody was happy to have given it. The joy that Sherman had given him in return was priceless.

Sherman pulled back and looked him in the eye.

"I'm going to miss you, Sherman." Peabody choked out.

The elevator opened and Sherman stood up. "I'll miss you too." He said as he walked into it.

He sniffed as he pushed the button.

"Ok… bye Mr. Peabody." He smiled at him.

"Goodbye Sherman." Peabody smiled affectionately.

The doors closed and Peabody was left alone, leaning on his cane. The smile slowly fell from his muzzle.

Was Sherman **really** prepared for the adult world? Had he learned enough about human social norms despite having had a dog for a father for the past 18 years? Would he really have been better off in a human family?

He tried shaking his head free of the doubts, but still they hung on like barnacles. He needed a distraction. Maybe some time working on the second most important thing in his life would help.

He was slowly typing away at the WABAC's keyboard, reprogramming it, when his phone lit up reminding him of an appointment.

It lit up a lot recently. His memory is not what it once was.

He needed to be at a Peabody Industries meeting in ten minutes.

It took him **twenty** minutes to get **anywhere**, so he should get going.

Peabody eventually made his way down into the building and to the conference room where the meeting was being held. He wasn't too late, only by a minute or two.

It didn't really matter since he wasn't the one leading it, he was only there because he's the CEO. He didn't need to do anything other than listen. He had had enough humans stay in executive positions long enough that they knew the inner workings of the company inside and out and he trusted them.

Why was he even here? They really didn't need him.

_"Mr. Peabody…"_

Sherman did though… did he?

"Mr. Peabody?"

Peabody was jolted from his thoughts as he realized the meeting was over and there were only a few people left in the room.

The elevator ascended back to the WABAC floor as the question continued to fly around Peabody's head.

Had Sherman really needed him? Or was his life now worse off?

He needed an answer, but Sherman wasn't here to directly give one, he wouldn't be back until 4 days from now…

The doors opened and he saw the red WABAC door in the distance. All of a sudden he had an epiphany.

Sherman wasn't here, but he… he could go to Sherman.

They hadn't travelled into the future much, but the idea kept growing on Peabody like a cancer. He could travel four days into the future and meet Sherman when he gets back from the trip.

_"I should have Ashley check in on you every day." _That might be a problem. If he told Ashley to check in on him, he would be gone every day she did, causing her to think he was missing. But if he didn't and Sherman asked her how he had been, she wouldn't know, indicating to Sherman that he had forgotten to tell her.

He decided against telling Ashley and dealing with Sherman himself if he did find out, it would keep his time traveling excursion privy to only one, maybe two people.

He was growing so excited he didn't even realize his tail was wagging. Quick as he could he hobbled over to the WABAC and rushed inside.

He was just about to hit the red button when his paw stopped. Another idea borne of the first one came to him.

**Why not go further?**

No, that's cheating.

_"No one can cheat time"_

Now Lupo's words came back to him. Him and Sherman have cheated time lots of times. Why should the direction matter?

Peabody brought up the keyboard and paused with his paws hovered over the keys.

**How much?**

Ten years.

A decade.

That would be more than enough time to show Peabody the answer to his question. He would have to make absolutely sure to return of course to minimize the casual effects of him traveling to the future.

He entered the date and pushed the red button.

The WABAC powered up and shot through the wormhole.

It did not sound the 'travel to a time where you exist' alarm.

* * *

**Tuesday August 22, 2034**

The WABAC shot out into sky; high above the New York City skyline. With age old experience, Peabody gently steered it towards the ground and cloaked.

He had emerged directly over the location of the Peabody Industries building where it was back in 2024, and there seemed to be the same building in its place.

Peabody slowly flew around it in circles, trying to get a glimpse of anyone in the penthouse on top. For all he knew Sherman might not live here anymore.

He flew almost to the ground and looked at the main entrance.

His heart rose as he noticed the Peabody Industries logo still hung above the main entrance lobby doors.

But still, better to land somewhere secluded than just assume anyone he knew still lived or worked in the building…

He landed deep in the alleyway right next to the building and slowly walked out. He made sure the WABAC cloaked again and slowly walked to the street and peeked around the corner towards the front of the building.

Either it was fate, destiny, luck, or divine intervention, but at the same time a car pulled up to the front of the building and stopped.

A young man stepped out and Peabody gasped.

He was around 6 feet tall and dressed in business casual attire, a red polo shirt and khaki pants. Beneath the trimmed red beard, the man was smiling, brown eyes twinkling in excitement and joy.

That was Sherman, beyond a doubt. 10 years had done almost nothing to him. Minus the beard and a little height, the 28-year-old man looked almost exactly like the Sherman that he just left in 2024.

And Peabody was satisfied with the answer he now had. He was just about to turn around and go back home when he heard the happy yell of a child.

"Daddy!"

Sherman knelt down and opened his arms. From the entrance to the building, a little girl with long strawberry-blond hair ran towards him and hugged him, followed closely by another, a boy with the same strawberry-blond hair as his sister.

"Olivia! James!" Sherman said. "Oh I missed my little puppies!"

"And they missed you." A blond-haired woman said, walking from the same place the two children had come from. "Their favorite question while you were gone was 'When will daddy be back?'"

Peabody had to hold onto his cane **and** the corner of the gray brick wall to keep from succumbing to the pure spectrum of emotion that was now wracking him.

Sherman married Penny. And they had children.

**He** had grandchildren.

Sherman stood up and held Penny in a one-armed hug, pulling her close and kissing her.

"And I missed you too." He said, smiling.

"How was your trip?" she asked.

"How about you go inside and I'll tell you after I fetch some things from the car."

"We can help you, daddy!" the younger one said.

Sherman leaned down and ruffled his hair. "That's very nice of you James, but daddy would rather do it himself, some of the things are kinda fragile and he also may have brought you presents…"

Both children shrieked in excitement as Penny herded them both back into the building and Sherman turned back towards the car.

But not before he just happened to glance in Peabody's direction.

Peabody couldn't hide back behind the corner again in time. He had been seen.

He leaned against the cold brick wall, breathing fast. He couldn't handle it. The mixed emotions he was feeling were overwhelming him.

Sherman was fine. Sherman was more than fine. He had a family. But Peabody…he would never live to see them.

"Mr. Peabody…?"

Peabody pulled his snout out of his paws and looked up.

Sherman had run over and was standing on the sidewalk looking down at him.

From his face Peabody could tell he had not left the boy-… man's mind in the past 10 years. He had not been forgotten.

Peabody picked up his cane again and used it to stand up.

"Y-yes, I'm sorry Sherman, I should not be here, I just had to see-" but he couldn't continue as the grown man started crying and gathered Peabody up in a hug.

"I've missed you Mr. Peabody! I've missed you so much…" he said between sobs, holding Peabody's head against his own. "I'm so happy you're finally here… I've been waiting for so long."

Being a time traveler gives one a certain intelligence about situations and despite his age, Peabody still had that time travel suspicion.

He leaned back in Sherman's arms. "What do you mean 'you've been waiting?"

Through his tears Sherman smiled. "I've been waiting for this day for so long, I just never knew exactly when it would happen. When you would visit me. I know you're from the past, dad."

He gently placed Peabody down again.

"Well, this is quite the conundrum." Peabody said as he adjusted his glasses. "Clearly I return to my own time."

"Yes… you do…." Sherman looked distracted, his eyes downcast, but then he smiled again. "But the damage is already done. Why don't you come inside and we can talk more…and you can meet your grandchildren…" he said, beaming.

As was usual with Peabody's entire lifetime of time travel, his mind told him one thing, but his heart told him another, and like most of those times, he obeyed his heart, against his better judgement. The allure of meeting grandchildren he had never met but was already in love with was too much to resist.

"I suppose… but I can't stay for too long." Peabody said as he followed after Sherman.

They entered the lobby and Peabody gasped.

He had been immortalized in a giant statue of bronze in the center of the lobby. Peabody couldn't help but stop and stare at it.

Sherman noticed Peabody wasn't following him anymore. He turned around and walked back to him.

He replied to Peabody's unspoken thoughts.

"Of course we made a statue of you, you are the company's founder, after all." He said.

Peabody didn't answer him. His emotions were still at an all-time high.

Luckily, they were alone in the lobby. They went into the elevator and Sherman pressed the button for the penthouse.

The doors opened to the home the both of them had known for most of their lives, and despite the massive redecoration, Peabody still recognized it.

There was different furniture in place of old furniture, it was rearranged, different pictures hung on the walls, and in the living room, the piano was gone, and so was the massive bookshelf. Peabody smiled as he noticed children's toys strewn about.

"Welcome home, dad." Sherman said, still beaming. "I'll go get Penny and the rest of your family."

Peabody didn't move as Sherman left the room. Despite knowing this was now his son's house, the redecoration still made it feel like he was standing inside a stranger's house. Even Sherman seemed like almost a stranger to him.

He could still hear Sherman yelling for them down the hallway.

"James! Olivia! There's someone I want you to meet!"

Peabody smirked and chuckled to himself as he realized that all the times he had reprimanded Sherman about yelling in the house had done nothing.

He heard Penny answer Sherman. "Who is it Sherman?-have you been crying?!"

"Yes, you'll never guess who it is!"

Olivia echoed her mother. "Who is it daddy?"

"You'll see…"

Sherman emerged into the living room again with the family in tow and Penny gasped when she saw Peabody.

It took her a few seconds, but she finally was able to speak. "Hi, Mr. Peabody." She said, her mouth open in amazement, almost as if she didn't believe Mr. Peabody was standing there, like he was a ghost.

"Hello Ms-" Peabody chuckled again as he corrected himself. "Mrs. Peterson."

"Doggy!" James giggled and pointed.

Sherman knelt down and put a hand around him. "No, that's Mr. Peabody, your grandpa. Remember all the pictures we've showed you?"

James nodded as he put a finger in his mouth.

Olivia was hiding behind her mother, unsure why or how their grandfather was standing in the middle of their living room, leaning on a cane, smiling widely at them, yet looking as though he might cry.

Her parents had told her he died before she was born, how was he here now?

Penny knelt down and gently put a hand on her shoulder.

"Why don't you go say hi? I promise you he won't bite." Her eyes twinkled in merriment.

Olivia looked back at Peabody who had focused his attention on her, looking at her with the same expression her mother and father gave her every time she told them 'I love you' and they said it back.

She walked forward until she was halfway between them. "Hi… grandpa" She said, clutching her doll close and toeing the wooden floor.

"Hello Olivia," Peabody's voice was thick and there was a lump in his throat and he had to cough to clear it. "my name is Hector Peabody and I adopted your father, Sherman."

This was information Olivia already knew, but Peabody didn't know what else to say.

The lump came back as he noticed her eyes. She had Sherman's eyes.

"I-if calling me grandpa is too uncomfortable for you, you can call me Mr. Peabody, or just Peabody."

Olivia was already slightly uncomfortable with a talking dog wearing a bow tie and glasses and using a cane, so they were well past comfortable.

"Pet the doggy?!" James asked frantically as he looked up at his father.

Sherman smiled and laughed. "If he's ok with it, gotta ask him first."

James rushed over to Peabody and held out both hands, palms up, hands bent downward. "Ca I pet u?"

"Of course you can." Peabody said warmly. He jolted as he realized James' blue eyes matched Penny's perfectly.

"Why do you wear glasses and a bow tie?" Olivia asked.

"Because I can't see without them and bow ties are very fashionable." Peabody said as James began petting him, starting at the back of his neck and going down, very slowly and unsurely as he was clearly not used to petting a bipedal dog.

He let out a giggle as he continued to pet Peabody, finding the whole experience exhilarating.

Peabody however gasped and arched his back as James suddenly petted him in the **perfect** way that triggered his dog instincts.

It felt **so good.**

He fell to the ground, cane clattering to the floor as he surrendered to his instincts, giggling and laughing, his hind leg kicking out.

Olivia snickered and joined her brother in petting and scratching their grandpa on the tummy as he writhed on the floor.

Penny put a hand to her mouth. Her and Sherman's sad/happy smiles couldn't have been any wider as they watched their children interact with their paternal grandfather for the first and last time.

The little family continued to interact for a little while. But of course, as usual with young children, they soon lost interest.

They continued playing with the toys that were strewn around the living room while Peabody and Sherman sat on the couch and Penny went to prepare some tea for them.

"So… why did you come?" Sherman asked.

Peabody was silent for a moment before he spoke. "Because… I wanted to see how you were faring in life. I've always had my doubts in raising you, and I wanted to make sure my attempts weren't in vain. And…"

He threw an affectionate glance over to where Olivia and James were playing on the floor.

"I can see they most definitely were not."

"No… of course they weren't." Sherman said, his expression a mixture of incredulity and excitement.

"You reached down out of nowhere and picked me up out of that box. And what you've taught me about running a business has helped so much. The company has expanded and with Penny's help-"

At that moment Penny returned with their tea, she handed Peabody his cup who took it gratefully and had a sip.

"You remembered my favorite tea." he said to her happily.

"Of course, Sherman and I drink it all the time." She smiled.

Sherman put his cup down and continued. "Yep, and Penny has also been a great help in expanding Peabody Industries. And, you know that trick you said you used to get me to sleep when I was a baby? When Olivia was a baby I was trying to get her to sleep one day and no matter what I tried, she would not go to bed. So, I tried what you did with me… and…it worked."

There was a pause where no one spoke.

"So… what I want to say is… thank you, Mr. Peabody." Sherman looked at him happily. "From the bottom of my heart."

"You're welcome, Sherman." Peabody said, mirroring his happiness.

There was a pleasant silence for a few moments until Sherman's phone buzzed and he picked it up and looked at it. He groaned and looked at Penny.

"He wants us now."

Penny groaned too. "Now?"

"Yeah… we can't let this pass us by." He said.

"I know…" Penny bit her lip.

"Dad…" Sherman slowly looked from her to Peabody and smiled. "Would you mind watching your grandchildren for awhile? Penny and I need to attend to some business."

"Of course." Peabody grinned.

They both stood up. "Thanks dad, we'll be right back, this shouldn't take long." Sherman said.

Penny walked over to where James and Olivia were still playing and leaned down and kissed them.

"Daddy and I need to go out for a little bit, grandpa is going to watch you, be good for him."

James made a noncommittal gesture and didn't otherwise protest. Olivia stood up.

"He is?" she asked nervously.

Penny knelt down to be at her eye level. "Yes but only for a little while, we'll be right back."

Her and Sherman left and Peabody finally had time to himself to think. If the Sherman from his time had any doubts about his life, seeing this would surely eliminate them all…

He pulled out his phone…

* * *

The elevator doors opened and Penny and Sherman stepped out. From the living room they could hear excited talking. They walked into it to find Peabody, Olivia and James gathered around a board game on the floor.

Peabody noticed them and looked up. "Sherman, Penny, I must say, my grandchildren are very well behaved and very good sports." He smiled.

Penny laughed. "Well I'm glad to hear it." she said as she knelt down to pick up Olivia who had run to her.

An immense sadness washed over Peabody as he looked out towards the window.

The sun was setting.

He needed to go back home.

But the last few hours had been some of the happiest of his life.

He didn't want to leave, he wanted to stay forever.

Despite knowing he could return to the exact second he left, (or four days later rather), he needed to get back home not because the time there was running out, or that time here was running out, but because **his** time was running out…

As much as Peabody wished it, time could never stand still. With the invention of the WABAC he had hoped to conquer time, but it still conquered him.

The same sadness washed over Sherman as he noticed Peabody look out the window and then down, a frown on his face.

He knew Peabody had to leave soon. But he didn't say anything.

"Well… I must be going. It- it has been an absolute pleasure to see all of you…" Peabody said as he grabbed his cane and stood up.

"When can we see grampa again?" James asked.

Sherman then spoke the most painful words he had ever spoken.

"I-I don't know." he lied, hanging his head and closing his eyes tight, trying to prevent the tears from coming.

Olivia noticed her mother trying to hide the tears that were forming in her eyes as well. "Then why are both of you crying?"

Peabody answered with a shuddering breath. "Because… you are not going to see me again."

James whined. "Nooo! Why not?!"

"He doesn't belong here." Sherman said. "He used the WABAC to travel here."

James gasped. "He tole the wabby?!"

"No, he used his own to come here, and now he has to go back and…" Sherman couldn't say the words. "stay there."

James whined again. "Whhyy?!"

Peabody couldn't stand the anguish in James voice, he was about to cry himself.

"I'd better just leave." He said. It took all of his willpower to walk over to the elevator and push the button.

"No!" James ran over and tried pulling at Peabody but he was stopped by Sherman who grabbed him and held him tight.

"Nooo! I do't want gampa to leave!" he cried, trying to escape his fathers grasp.

The doors opened and Peabody walked into the elevator and turned around.

"I-I love all of you more than you can know." He choked out.

"We love you too." Penny said, tears streaming down her face, raising her voice over James' cries.

"Always." Sherman said.

Peabody looked at him. "Thank you, Sherman." He smiled tearfully.

Through his tears, Sherman returned the smile and nodded.

The doors shut, closing him off from the only home and family that mattered.

If the dog didn't believe in hell before, he sure did now, this was as close as he had ever gotten.

His heart felt like it was physically hurting.

His lip trembled.

There are cameras in the elevator, he couldn't let go now.

He was unaware of anything else when the doors opened. He could think of nothing else but getting back to the WABAC.

James' pained cries still rung in his ears, Olivia's face of hurt confusion was still etched into his mind.

He rushed up into the WABAC as it decloaked and quickly shut the door.

He sat down in the chair and couldn't hold it in anymore.

For the first time in his life, Mr. Peabody let out the loudest, longest, most pained howl he had ever done.

He was unaware of how long he simply sat there, not moving, unable to think, small whines and sobs occasionally escaping his throat.

He finally came back to himself and started configuring the WABAC for the trip back home. It rose into the darkening New York sky and disappeared in a flash of light.

* * *

**Sunday August 25, 2024**

The WABAC parked in its rightful position and Peabody stood up, grabbed his cane and tapped out of it.

He checked the time.

_12:30_

Sherman should be back in half an hour. Should be enough time to clean his eyes and muzzle up and look presentable.

Peabody was just leaving his room when the elevator dinged and he heard it open.

"Mr. Peabody! I'm home!" he heard Sherman yell.

He met Sherman at the hallway entrance in the living room.

"How was it, Sherman?" Peabody smiled at him.

"It was so much fun! Their campus is so cool and huge and I met this really cool guy named Eric, and the camping was fun too! We…"

Peabody couldn't really pay attention anymore. All he could do was watch Sherman as he animatedly told Peabody about it, waving his hands around. He was thinking about how Sherman was going to be a great businessman, a great husband, and a great father…

He knew this without a doubt.

And he couldn't be more proud.

"Well at least you made a friend, that should ease your first day jitters." Peabody jolted as he realized Sherman had finished.

"Yeah, but I'm still so nervous." Sherman said.

"Don't you worry, Sherman, fate's got a plan for you." Peabody said, still smiling widely.

Sherman raised an eyebrow at him. "…ok, that definitely wasn't eerie at all… I'm going to go unpack."

Peabody watched Sherman as he walked down the hall toward his room and waited until he was out of earshot before pulling out his phone and dialing a number.

_"Hello Mr. Peabody, what can I do for you?"_

"Hello Steven, I would like to add an item as an addendum to my will."

_"Of course, why don't I set up a time we can meet and you can give it to me."_

"There's actually no need… it's a video file, I will send it to you."

* * *

**It will take a little longer than a week to post the next chapter because I still haven't finished writing it. Also, I've reached a new milestone, the longest single chapter/document I've ever written, 5k words. I now leave you in whatever state your feels may be in and give you time to compose yourself before the emotional fifth and final chapter, I'm sure you all can guess what will happen.**


	5. Acceptance

_The boy ran out of his room down the hall towards his father's room, crying all the way._

_"Miser Peabody! Miser Peabody!"_

_Peabody looked up from his work at his desk as his son ran into his room, tears streaming down his face. _

_What on earth was he so distressed about?_

_"Sherman! Sherman calm down!" Peabody jumped down from his chair and caught the boy as he threw himself into Peabody's arms. _

_He racked his brain as he tried to think of possible reasons for Sherman's emotional state while stroking his head and letting him cry into his fur, 'shh'ing him occasionally._

_"Mybooksaid-"_

_He started talking so fast Peabody couldn't understand a word. _

_"Sherman, you need to slow down, I can't understand you." He said, kneeling down to the boy's eye level._

_Sherman messily wiped his face and sniffled. "M-my book said dogs only live for 15 years, I'm only 5, I don't want you to die!"_

_He burst into a fresh round of tears as he threw his arms around Peabody again. _

_Peabody put his arms around Sherman again as he thought to himself. _

_He'd better see what book it was and remove it and any such other books that may cause Sherman any undue stress on his psyche in the future. _

_But he had to deal with this now. _

_"Sherman…" he said slowly. "death is a natural part of life, along with many other things, you were born, I was born, that is natural. Do you remember Mrs. Stevens?"_

_Sherman shook his head. _

_"She worked for me, but… she was very old, and her body could no longer work. So… she died."_

_"B-but what happens after?" Those big brown eyes stared at him, begging for an answer._

_Like many other times since adopting Sherman, Peabody had to use the words he had barely used before adopting him. _

_"I-…I don't know… some people say there is a heaven, a wonderful place where there is no death, some say nothing at all."_

_Sherman gasped. "The TV said all dogs go to heaven! So das where you're going!"_

_Peabody scoffed. "That is a fictional movie, Sherman. You cannot believe everything you see on the TV."_

_"But it said so!" Sherman pouted. _

_Peabody put a paw on his shoulder and leaned in close. _

_"Wherever we go when we die, I can promise you one thing before that happens…"_

_"What?" Sherman asked, leaning in close, eyes wide. _

_"We will be together." Peabody smiled._

_He suddenly got an idea. It would likely get Sherman's mind off the idea of death. _

_"Do you want to play spin around?"_

_Sherman's face lit up. "Yeah!"_

_"How about we add some music this time?" He said as he walked over to the stereo in his room and put on a song, one perfect for spinning around to. _

_He and Sherman walked to the center of the room as the first few notes and lyrics played. _

**_I'd like to sail to lands afar_**

**_Out on a boat that's built for two_**

**_Beneath a canopy of stars_**

**_That would be just like a dream come true_**

**_Just to be with you_**

_Sherman took Peabody's outstretched paws and they began to spin slowly. _

**_And oh oh oh oooh_**

**_When we're together_**

**_oh oh oh oooh_**

**_Feels like forever_**

**_Worries seem to fade away_**

**_They become as distant memories_**

**_When we're together_**

_They began to spin faster and faster, Sherman laughed and giggled as Peabody held his hands tighter, a smile forming on his muzzle._

**_I'd like a castle on a hill_**

**_Where you and I could spend the day_**

**_And I'd love to go where time stands still_**

**_And all that doesn't matter fades away_**

**_You are here with me_**

**_And I'd love to_**

**_Dance with you_**

**_Under the big blue sky_**

**_We'd hold the_**

**_Wonder of the moment_**

**_As the moment passes by_**

"Sherman…?"

_The song reached its end and they both collapsed in a heap on the soft rug, Sherman giggling and laughing from the dizziness and Peabody chuckling along with him._

"Sherman!"

* * *

**Saturday, October 19, 2024**

"Sherman!" Penny snapped in his face.

Sherman gasped as he was startled out of his daydreaming. He knocked over his cup but caught it just in time before it fell and spilled all over the coffee shop floor. At least it was nighttime and there were barely any other patrons in the shop.

"Man, you were really out there, what were you thinking about?" Penny asked, frowning in concern.

"Nothing, just… a memory." Needing something to do with his hands, Sherman took a sip from his coffee.

"About what?" Penny asked, taking a sip from her own coffee.

"Me and Mr. Peabody, when I was 5."

"What was it about…?"

"I… I think I read in some book about the lifespan of dogs and was afraid Mr. Peabody would die, and he said the usual 'death is natural, just like being born' stuff…"

Sherman trailed off, he didn't want to continue to share the memory. Luckily Penny saved him.

"How is Mr. Peabody?"

"You've visited him every day, you should know."

"Every _week, _Sherman, I'm just as busy as you are."

Sherman sighed. "Why are we talking about him? I thought we were here to talk about anything other than him."

"You started it by thinking about him."

"Well it's kinda hard to **not** think about much less talk about your hospitalized dad who could die any second now is it?!"

A month ago, Peabody had been hospitalized. He could no longer walk upright with a cane or even on all fours. Sherman and Dr. Lupo had come to an agreement and he had one of the examination rooms in his office converted into a makeshift hospital room. Sherman was back in New York for the weekend, just as he had done every weekend for the past month. Lupo had promised to keep tabs on Peabody, but his prognosis was not good.

Sherman noticed Penny's hurt expression at being yelled at and immediately regretted it.

"I'm sorry Penny, it's just…" he couldn't finish, the stress of the last month was catching up to him.

Penny put a hand on his arm. "I understand."

"I just don't know what to do." He said in a high-pitched whisper. He took a shuddering breath.

Suddenly his phone rang. He looked at it and his heart sank. It was Dr. Lupo.

"No…" There was only one reason Lupo would be calling him.

He slowly lifted the phone to his ear and answered it. "Hi Dr. Lupo, how's my dad?"

_"Sherman, I… I think you'd better come here." _Lupo sounded hesitant.

Sherman's heart jumped into his throat. "Why? Is my dad alright?!"

_"No! no… he's fine… now… but… I'm afraid he's… he's not going to last the night."_

"What do you mean? He's lasted this long."

_"Sherman… his major organs have begun shutting down, and there's nothing I can do…"_

Penny watched as Sherman slowly shut his eyes and lowered his head, trying to keep from crying.

_"You should come in soon if you want to… to be able to say your goodbyes."_

Sherman hung up without saying anything else.

"Well, what did he say?" Penny asked, her eyes roving his expression for answer.

Sherman looked up at her and sniffed. "He said… we should go…" he got up from the table so fast Penny had barely any time to collect her jacket before following him out the door.

"Sherman, wait! Why do we need to go?" She asked, following him to the car.

"Because he… may not last through the night." Saying the words made Sherman feel like it made them true. His father wasn't dead, he was still alive. But time was working against them. All their lives it had worked for them, now it was betraying them.

They pulled into the parking lot of the office and Penny looked at the single car that was also parked there.

"That's my parents' car… He must have called them too…" She mused.

Sherman pushed open the doors to the vet's office. He knew exactly where his father was, he had walked the hallway to his room every weekend for the past month visiting him after all.

As he and Penny walked the dimly lit hallway towards Mr. Peabody's room, Penny noticed Sherman had begun to walk slower and slower, until he finally just stopped.

"I-I can't see him like this." He choked out.

Penny stopped beside him and rubbed his arm. "It's ok." She said softly.

Sherman wiped his eyes and looked up with determination. He walked up to the doorway to Peabody's room and looked in through the glass window. He could see Mr. and Mrs. Peterson sitting by the bedside, and Lupo standing at the foot of the bed.

Lupo noticed him and came over and opened the door. "Hello Sherman." He said simply, his expression neutral.

The Petersons stood up and walked away from the bed, giving Sherman full view of his father on the bed.

They silently passed him, both giving a sorrowful, acknowledging nod. They and Dr. Lupo respectfully left the room, closing the door.

"D- do you want me to leave too?" Penny whispered uncertainly.

Sherman silently shook his head as he continued to stare at his father lying on the bed. He needed an anchor.

His father had wires and tubes attached to him. He hated them, keeping his father alive. The jerry-rigged heart machine beeped steadily on the other side of the bed, the green dot bouncing up and down.

He slowly walked over towards the bed. Peabody heard him and stirred.

"Sherman…. Is that you?" His voice was raspy and hoarse. His slightly cloudy green eyes moved to focus on Sherman. He tried sitting up but could not and relented to adjusting himself on his pillow.

"Yeah, I-I'm here, dad." Sherman sat down in the seat closest to Peabody while Penny sat in the one behind him.

He took Peabody's paw in his hand. It was so thin and frail. There was a time he could remember where it used to be a pure white and strong. Strong enough to pull him out of danger, pull him along to new adventures, and rub his back to comfort him when he was scared.

"Ah, there you are." Peabody weakly squeezed his hand and smiled.

Sherman saw his nose flare. "Is Ms. Peterson here as well? I can smell her." he asked.

"Yes, I'm here too." Penny replied, leaning forward and putting a hand on his leg.

"I am glad you are here." He smiled at her.

"How was your week?" he asked Sherman, he began their conversation the way he had every Saturday that Sherman had visited him.

How could his father ask such a simple question at such a time as this?

Sherman wanted to cry, yell, scream. But he didn't. He wished with all his might that he could just hold his breath and close his eyes and it would all be just a dream.

"I-It was ok…" he said with a shaky breath. "I aced my calculus test on Monday." He smiled feebly.

Peabody smiled. "I'm so proud of you, Sherman."

"It was just a calculus test…"

"Even so, I am pleased with the progress you are making in your education…"

Sherman sighed. "What does it matter?"

"It doesn't matter at all."

Sherman looked back at him in surprise. "I don't get it." He blinked.

"If you don't feel like your education is benefiting you then it doesn't matter." Peabody blinked at him slowly, "what matters is that you are doing what you want with your life, and whatever you do with it, I'm proud of you."

"What about your life?" Sherman suddenly asked, leaning in close, his lip trembling, holding his other hand to his father's head, slowly rubbing it back and forth.

Peabody broke eye contact with his son and looked away into the distance, smiling wide, his eyes unfocused. "What about it? My life has been the most fulfilling, joyful, journey through time I could have asked for."

Sherman couldn't hold it in anymore. He was angry. How dare his father be so calm when he was on the verge of collapse?

"How are you so calm!? You're dying, dad, aren't you afraid?!" He raised his voice, tears coming to his eyes and falling onto the bed.

Peabody slowly closed his eyes and took a huge gasping breath.

"Oh, I am scared to death, Sherman." He said as he opened his eyes wide and looked at Sherman. In his eyes Sherman could see the most vulnerability his father had displayed in the entire lifetime he knew him. He truly was afraid.

But there was also a twinkle in his eye. Even in the face of primal fear, his father could crack a joke.

Sherman understood it, but that only made him angrier. He glared at his father.

"That wasn't funny."

Peabody chuckled. "I think it was…"

A moment of silence passed before Sherman blurted out. "I don't know what to do!"

Peabody threw him a puzzled glance.

"I'm only 18! I know nothing about running a company! I know nothing about the world!" Sherman's fears came spilling out like a waterfall. "I don't want you to leave!" he sobbed.

For a moment, Peabody looked as though he recognized a long-lost friend, his brows creased in sadness, but then he focused on Sherman again.

"Sherman… death is ineluctable. But time is not the enemy. Time was the gift that brought us together. You and I had the time of our younger lives, and I wouldn't change anything. You know how lonely my life had been, you know how I wanted someone to come along, and change my world the way you've done."

His eyes began to droop, but he smiled tearfully, and his lip quaked as he spoke and looked Sherman right in the eyes.

"You have made me so happy, Sherman. I never thought that I'd love anyone to the extent I have loved you. You were the meaning of my life… I don't have a lot of time left, but I **know** you will be ok."

He focused on Penny. "Ms. Peterson, will you please look after my son?"

Penny nodded her head fervently, silent tears falling down her face.

Sherman knew time was slipping away, his father had precious seconds left on this planet.

So, he said the one and only thing that could possibly sum up all his feelings.

"I love you, Mr. Peabody." He choked, his face now pushed up against the fur on the side of his father's face, trying to convey to his father just how much his presence in his life had meant.

"And I have the deepest… most intimate regard… for you as well, Sherman. Thank you…. for the privilege of the life… we had together." Peabody said, leaning his snout towards Sherman's face, nuzzling him.

And with that, Mr. Peabody's body finally gave up its spirit and the heart monitor flatlined.

Sherman opened his mouth and wailed as Penny sobbed behind him.

He was vaguely aware of Lupo walking back into the room and over to the other side of the bed and turning the monitor off.

He was vaguely aware of Lupo offering his condolences.

He was vaguely aware of slowly standing up, not looking at the body on the bed, and turning around; but Penny was right there and he collapsed into her open arms, still sobbing.

Penny held him tight, tears falling down her face.

The next few days were a blur, as they usually are with life events such as this. Penny helped him make funeral arrangements, and when some funeral homes refused them because of what Mr. Peabody was, she angrily mouthed them off and called a different one.

Sherman couldn't have been more grateful.

Finally, the day of the funeral arrived.

Logistically, it would've been impossible to get everyone they had ever known throughout time to the funeral and would've broken the laws of time anyways. So, Sherman decided to bring the one person that he and Peabody had known the best, Leonardo Da Vinci.

Sherman dreaded traveling back and having to tell anyone else. But it quickly left his mind as he knew he probably wouldn't be using the WABAC for a while.

Regardless, there was a relatively large number of people who attended the funeral. He fidgeted with his itchy black suit as he walked up to the lectern and faced the sea of people that had come.

He heaved a heavy sigh as he tried to keep the tears back. But he had cried so much over the past few days he was having trouble holding them back.

He sniffled and occasionally wiped his eyes and nose as he spoke.

"As you all know, my father was a dog. Of course, throughout the course of his life he had various insecurities regarding that. The biggest of which came from his rejection by us, humanity. But despite that, I can't remember a time where he ever spoke ill of anyone or sought revenge. He was polite to everyone he met. He loved me. He didn't say it for the first years we were together, but he eventually did. He grew."

Sherman stopped for a moment as he got choked up, then continued.

"He shouldn't have had to, but my dad was always striving to become more human, learn what it means to be one and to be accepted by the rest of us. But we all have the capacity to bring out the worst in humanity. And he… he was not a good man. He was definitely… for all intents and purposes…a good dog. He was better than any human."

That was all he could say. He stepped down and silently listened as the rest of the people in attendance said a few words.

Despite his grief he smiled through his tears as he listened. The amount of people in New York City that his father had positively impacted were staggering. Every single person who attended the funeral had something positive to say about his father.

Sherman wanted it all to be over as soon as possible, so it had been arranged that the final step, the reading of Mr. Peabody's will, would be performed after the funeral.

Steven was still in his black suit when Sherman opened the door to the conference room at Peabody Industries.

"Are you ready to begin, Mr. Peabody?" he asked.

"P- Please don't…" Sherman stared at him pointedly, fighting back tears. "Sherman is fine."

Steven quickly apologized. "I'm so sorry, Sherman. I… I didn't think."

They both sat down, and Steven pulled out a folder.

After shuffling some papers, he finally began the reading of Mr. Peabody's will.

"I, Hector Peabody, a legally recognized adult canine dog with an address at 880 7th Ave. New York, NY 10019, being of competent and sound mind, do hereby declare this to be my last will and testament (hereinafter, "Last Will & Testament") and do hereby revoke any and all wills and codicils heretofore made jointly or severally by me. I further declare that this Last Will & Testament reflects my personal wishes without any undue influence whatsoever.

At the time of this Last Will & Testament I have 1 child who is listed as follows:

Sherman Peabody born April 15, 2006

I hereby nominate and appoint Steven Barker as Executor/Personal Representative of this Last Will & Testament. Immediately following my death, the Executor/Personal Representative will be authorized to exercise all provisions of this Last Will & Testament and to use the assets from my estate to make necessary arrangements, without any unnecessary delay, for the payment of personal debts, obligations and funeral expenses…"

* * *

"…and lastly, I give, devise and bequeath all of the remaining and residual property I have ownership in at the time of my death, whether real property, personal property or both, of whatever kind and wherever situated to Sherman Peabody absolutely and entirely. Lastly, I request that my only son, Sherman Peabody, be given the enclosed tablet computer, on which is contained a single video file I wish for him to watch alone upon my passing at the reading of my will. Signed, Hector Peabody."

Steven reached into the folder and pulled out a small tablet, which he handed to Sherman.

He stood up. "I'll give you a few minutes." He opened the door and left the room.

Sherman turned the tablet on, found the file, and opened it.

He held back a gasp and tried not to cry again as he saw his father alive and well for the first time since he had passed, being filmed inside the penthouse. He looked old and his fur was gray, he must've taken it recently…

_"Hello Sherman. I suppose I should preface this video with the time…"_ he looked up into the distance, presumably at a clock, but based on his position Sherman knew there were no visible clocks in the penthouse.

_"It is currently-"_ Suddenly he was interrupted with a child's voice.

_"Can we see gampa!?"_ Two children came into view, a boy and a girl.

_"Yes, of course, but be careful, I am old and frail…"_ he said as they leaned against him, one on each side, looking into the camera lens.

Peabody looked into the camera with a smirk on his grey snout. _"Oh yes, I suppose you're wondering who these children are. They…" _he put a paw on each of the children. _"are my grandchildren…" _

Sherman's mouth dropped open and he paused the video and let the tablet fall flat on the table.

Mr. Peabody had traveled into the future. Sherman knew he shouldn't be watching it, but the damage had already been done, he was involved in a paradox now.

His heart screamed at him to continue watching the video. He picked the tablet up and continued.

_"I know you have been struggling with self-doubt Sherman, and while there is nothing I can do to immediately fix that, I can empathize. I've doubted myself too, was I really the best thing that ever happened to you?…"_

He stopped and gave both of the children a kiss on the head.

_"Yes, yes, I believe now that I was, and I hope you can see it too. I know you are watching this after I have passed, we all grow up and grow old, Sherman, being a time traveler does absolutely nothing to stop that. I am gone now, but I have oodles of faith that I left a great legacy." _

Peabody stared into the camera pointedly and smiled happily._ "You. And I know you'll do great things with it." _

He chuckled as James began rubbing his ear._ "And here it is. I wanted to take the chance to see it before I… well… you know."_

He paused and stared directly into the lens._ "Just promise me one thing… that soon you'll smile. You will be okay, Sherman. I will see you again. I love you, my pup. Always."_

Sherman saw a single tear slip from the dog's snout just as the screen went black.

A single tear slipped down Sherman Peabody's face but caught on his lip as he smiled.

* * *

**This took so long because I was dreading it so much, and because I kept dreading it so much, I kept putting it off, making it harder to write. I think I did a decent job though. Anyways, first of all, if you're not on AO3, I apologize for not warning about character death, but I figured once you got further into it you would've figured it out, if you didn't already from the chapter names. I literally had the idea for the chapter names first, and then wrote the story around them, so I didn't want to change them. I didn't outright say it in the title or summary because I wanted you to realize he's going to die as you read the story, and thus (hopefully) have a greater emotional response. I knew once I started writing MPaS fics in 2015 that I wanted to write my version of Peabody dying eventually, and I knew I really wanted to do something different for mine. And this idea is about as different as you can get from any of the other death fics I've read. Many of the others either didn't include time travel elements, it was short, or he was killed. I always knew my cause of death would be old age. It was however inspired by many other fics. The exposition for the vet in chapter 1 was *heavily* inspired by an excerpt from an unposted fic by katielynn526 on Tumblr, part of Peabody's description in chapter 4 was *heavily* inspired by a post by miss nan on Tumblr and this chapter was also *heavily* inspired by purpledragon6's chapter No Matter How Far in their Snips and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails drabble collection. I can't handle another sad ending like this one, I promise all my stories after this one will have happy endings. Maybe not happy beginnings or middles… but definitely happy endings. Also, in case anyone's wondering, the song is When We're Together by Mark Harris.**


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